Wakeboard Boat Review
In terms of size, no other wakeboard boat this year can touch the MasterCraft X-80’s colossal 28-foot length and 114-inch beam. But while this behemoth’s exclamation-inducing bulk is nothing short of impressive, what’s truly amazing is MasterCraft’s ability to pack it to the gills with cool features. Take for example the twin engines that shoot this monster out of the hole as if it were a 20-foot ski boat, or the enclosed head, which makes those long days on the lake a heck of a lot more pleasant. Throw in the minibar and optional fridge and this ride is as much party barge as it is wake machine.
HULL: When you consider that the massive deck of this boat has an equally immense deep-V vented-step hull below it, it’s little surprise that the wakes behind the MasterCraft X-80 resemble mini tsunamis. Shift everyone to one side and your wakesurfing session will look a lot like an afternoon at the North Shore of Maui. That same hull easily dominates choppy big-lake conditions, and even with an aggressive rider in tow, the boat doesn’t budge an inch from its course.
BALLAST: The 500 pounds of ballast that comes standard in the MasterCraft X-80 might not seem like a lot of weight for a wakeboard boat of this size. Then again, since the boat itself tips the scales at more than three tons and its ridiculously big interior comfortably seats 15 people, you’ll probably never need that water weight to churn up massive wakes anyway.
TOWER: The burly ZeroFlex, made from 3-inch brushed aluminum, is as solid through rollers as the deep-V hull. The tight-clamping wakeboard racks are among the best we’ve ever encountered, swinging in and out of the wakeboard boat for convenient and controlled board storage.
THE WAKE
The deep-V hull creates enormous walls of water for your riding enjoyment. Riders will benefit from the huge pop but might have to ease into it because of the steep wakes. Double-ups? They should be called quadruple-ups.
SPECS
PEOPLE: 15
DRY WEIGHT: 6,420 LB.
BALLAST: 500 LB.
2 REAR TANKS: 250 LB. EACH
TOWER: ZeroFlex
RACKS: SWIVEL, CLAMP
WAKE SHAPER: ON-THE-FLY ADJUSTABLE PLATES
STEREO: AM/FM/CD CLARION DECK WITH MP3 INPUT, 6 JL SPEAKERS, AMP, SUBWOOFER, REMOTE, CHANGER*, TRANSOM REMOTE*, TOWER SPEAKERS*
CUP HOLDERS: 14 STAINLESS STEEL
COOLER: 48 QT.
COLORS: 21 EXTERIOR IN 5 COLORWAYS; 2 BASE INTERIOR WITH 11 ACCENTS
FUEL: 110 GAL.
BASE MSRP: $115,210
*optional
ENGINE: Twin Indmar RTP-1 5.7L, 310 hp
Optional: Twin Indmar MCX 5.7L, 350 hp
REC. PROP: Twin OJ 13.7 x 17.4 four-blade
CRUISE: MasterCraft Cruise; PerfectPass (optional)
